Macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer defect patterns in multiple sclerosis patients without optic neuritis: A...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Subclinical optic nerve involvement is common in MS, even without a history of optic neuritis.
• Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a key imaging technique for evaluating retinal nerve fiber layer and macular structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the proportion and types of macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer complex (mGCIP) defects in patients with multiple sclerosis without a history of optic neuritis (MSNON).
• To compare mGCIP defect patterns between MSNON patients and healthy controls (HCs).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, case-control study involving 17 MSNON patients and 17 HCs.
• SD-OCT (Zeiss Cirrus HD-OCT 4000) was used for mGCIP thickness measurement.
• mGCIP defect patterns were classified into nine types based on deviation map analysis.

Main Results:

• A mGCIP defect pattern was identified in 70.5% of MSNON eyes.
• The most prevalent defect pattern was the inner type (47%), followed by outer and inferior confined types (11.7% each).
• No mGCIP defects were observed in healthy controls.

Conclusions:

• MSNON patients exhibit significant mGCIP thinning, frequently characterized by inner defects.
• These mGCIP defects may serve as a valuable biomarker for detecting subclinical optic nerve involvement in MS.
• SD-OCT analysis of mGCIP patterns offers insights into early neurodegeneration in MS.